FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Fayetteville State University has used pandemic relief funds to clear $1.6 million in tuition debt for nearly 1,500 students.

The Fayetteville Observer reported July 11 that the historically Black school utilized money from the federal legislation known as the American Rescue Plan.

Signed into law in March, it provided nearly $40 billion to higher education institutions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. FSU cleared tuition that was not covered by federal student grants or loans.

The school also plans to use $4.7 million in federal funds to provide free summer classes to 1,400 undergraduates through the summer of 2023.

“The university is focused on students’ success by clearing past due balances and erasing debt,” FSU spokeswoman Joy Cook said. “When the burden of financial stress is taken away, student success increases.”